Midwife Led Units

Shropshire has five midwifery led units (MLUs), where you will meet Midwives and Women’s Services Assistants (WSAs) who will care for you throughout your pregnancy. Midwives who work in MLUs are very experienced and have undergone additional training in order to manage emergency situations. The midwives have direct access 24 hours a day to obstetricians and neonatal staff, to discuss any problems that may occur. WSAs are all trained in breastfeeding skills and will assist you in the postnatal period.

The MLUs are situated around the county in Ludlow, Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth and Telford.

In Whitchurch and Market Drayton there are community midwives who offer a homebirth service.

If you are newly pregnant, midwives in MLUs can offer you a free pregnancy test and there is no need to see a GP, as midwives can book you directly into our maternity service. We prefer to book you by 9 weeks pregnant in order to offer you the full range of screening tests available to you.

The MLUs are able to offer you a place where you can feel comfortable, relaxed, confident and secure. You can contact the midwives at your local unit for advice and support during your pregnancy, when your labour is starting, and after you have your baby. It is also convenient for your friends and family to visit you when you’ve had your baby. There are also regular clinics at each MLU where women who require additional specialist care can see an obstetrician.

At each pregnancy appointment you will be risk assessed, and if deemed low risk by the time you reach 37 weeks pregnant, you will be eligible to birth your baby in an MLU.

The Birthplace National Prospective Cohort Study (2011), found that having a planned birth in an MLU was just as safe as having a baby in an obstetric unit. Women who give birth in an MLU report greater satisfaction with their care, have less intervention and are more likely to succeed if they choose to breastfeed their baby.

** Please note services are currently suspended at the MLU in Shrewsbury **

Contact Us

Booking

As well as ringing your local MLU to arrange a booking appointment, you can also ring a central booking appointment number: 01743261085.

Community Teams

Whitchurch Community Midwifery Team

01948660838 or 07900211089.

Market Drayton Community Midwifery Team

01630650727 or 07786263592.

Midwife-led unit review

NHS Shropshire CCG and NHS Telford and Wrekin CCG are currently reviewing midwife-led services and want to hear your views and experiences.

The review is in the early stages and the CCGs are launching a community conversation to understand what is working well and what can be improved.

Both CCGs, working with the Hospital Trust, are committed to ensuring local services are safe, high quality and delivering the right service for local needs.

Shropshire CCG is leading the review on behalf of both areas, and is planning a range of opportunities for local people to take part in the review. To find out more visit Shropshire CCG’s website for more information.

Shrewsbury MLU is situated in the grounds of Shrewsbury Hospital. There is an early labour room where you can stay with your partner until labour establishes. There are two birth rooms with labour aids, a pool for use in labour or water birth and several single rooms for post natal care along with a four bed bay if you prefer some company.

Some midwives here are also trained as hypnobirthing teachers.

In the unlikely event that you need to be transferred to Telford during labour, the travel time by ambulance, including time taken for the ambulance to arrive and for you to be secured and ready to travel, is approximately 50 minutes.

If you are higher risk and have your baby in Telford, you may still be able to transfer back to Shrewsbury in the immediate postnatal period to spend time getting to know your baby and receive the help you need.

Bridgnorth MLU is situated in the grounds of Bridgnorth Community Hospital. There are two birth rooms; one of which has a birthing pool, a television, music. The other room has labour and birthing aids.

Some midwives here are also trained as hypnobirthing teachers.

In the unlikely event that you need to be transferred to Telford during labour, the travel time by ambulance, including time taken for the ambulance to arrive and for you to be secured and ready to travel, is approximately 68 minutes.

If you are higher risk and have your baby in Telford, you may still be able to transfer back to Bridgnorth in the immediate postnatal period to spend time getting to know your baby and receive the help you need.

The Wrekin MLU is situated in the grounds of the Princess Royal Hospital. There are four homely birthing rooms, one with a birthing pool, which are in a separate wing away from the postnatal rooms. There are aids to help keep you comfortable in labour, and postnatal care is in four bed bays.

Many women who have had a baby in the consultant unit transfer to the Wrekin MLU for postnatal care.

Some midwives here are also trained as hypnobirthing teachers.

In the unlikely event that you need to be transferred to the consultant unit, the travel time by bed or chair is approximately 5 minutes.

Ludlow MLU is situated in the grounds of Ludlow community Hospital. There is a relaxed, friendly and homely atmosphere at this unit. It has a large birthing suite with labour aids such as mats, bean bags, balls, a chair bed for partners, dimmed lighting, music and a television. Partners are able to stay overnight with you while you are in labour. We are now also pleased to offer water births at the Unit.

Midwives at Ludlow MLU can also offer aqua-natal classes and some are trained as hypnobirthing teachers.

In the unlikely event that you need to be transferred to Telford during labour, the travel time by ambulance, including time taken for the ambulance to arrive and for you to be secured and ready to travel, is approximately 83 minutes.

If you are higher risk and have your baby in Telford, you may still be able to transfer back to Ludlow in the immediate postnatal period to spend time getting to know your baby and receive the help you need.

Oswestry MLU is situated in the grounds of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital in Gobowen.

Here there are two birth rooms, one of which contains a state-of-the-art birthing pool and both rooms have labour and birthing aids such as mats, bean bags and balls to help you stay upright to facilitate a normal birth.

Some midwives here are also trained as hypnobirthing teachers.

In the unlikely event that you need to be transferred to Telford during labour, the travel time by ambulance, including time taken for the ambulance to arrive and for you to be secured and ready to travel, is approximately 87 minutes.

If you are higher risk and have your baby in Telford, you may still be able to transfer back to Oswestry in the immediate postnatal period to spend time getting to know your baby and receive the help you need.